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Any U.S. citizen who travels outside North America needs to have a passport. This is your international I.D. and you can’t leave home without it! Please note that many countries will deny entry to those whose passports will expire within six months after departing the USA. That means that even if your passport is valid now and during your trip, you still need to obtain a new passport.
Non-U.S. citizens may need to obtain visas even if they already have a valid passport. A visa is special permission to travel to your destination country (not a credit card, although those are helpful too!). It is the sole responsibility of the participant to determine if a visa(s) is required for your tour.
For more passport & visa information and office locations visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en.html
When traveling with us, once you have your passport, fill out this form and send to us NO LATER than 60 days before … [Read more...] about What About Passports & Visas?

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but preparing for them rarely is. The weeks and days leading up to your departure are often fraught with last minute worries, and never ending lists of what to do, prepare, pack and book. We know how overwhelming this can be, especially for first time travelers, so in order to help take some of the stress out of travel, we have compiled a list of basic to do's once your initial trip is booked.
1. Prepare Passport and Visas
First and foremost you will need your passport. Make sure that you have at least 6 months remaining after the end of your trip, otherwise you could find yourself being refused entry to some countries. If you don't have a passport, leave yourself plenty of time for applying for one before your trip. At certain time of year the processing can take up to 3 months especially if you've never had one before. You also have to take Visa wait time into account. Check the countries you are visiting to see if you need a travel visa … [Read more...] about The Art of Preparing for Travel

From booking flights to reserving a table or finding the nearest bus stop, travel apps have the potential to make any trip easier, more affordable and far less stressful. Need to check the status of your connecting flight without leaving your seat? There's an app for that. Or perhaps you want to know how much that African finger painting your dad would love costs in dollars rather than shillings? There's an app for that too!
With an estimated 17,000 on the market, choosing which apps to download before you trip can seem more than a little daunting. But not to worry, we've done all the hard work for you. From packing to making your flight to finding a hotel to changing money - these 14 apps will, without question, improve your travel experience. In fact, we're willing to bet that after one trip you'll start to wonder how you ever managed before!
1. TripIt
TripIt travel Organizer. This is one of our all time fave travel apps. You can forget about carrying reams of paper … [Read more...] about The Best Travel Apps to Help You on Your Way…

Fully customizable tours are one thing that we strive for here at TSA Tours. While others will offer you a catalogue of stock tours for you to choose from, we offer you three (count 'em, three!) ways for you to custom craft your own tour experience. Because no two people and curriculums are alike, you should never have to settle for the experience of a lifetime! To get started, go ahead and click the "Design A Tour" tab at the top of the page.
Once there, you'll see the three paths you can take to craft your very own tour experience. The first option, "Let us be your guide," are for those who want to design their own tour but want some options to pick and choose from. We'll talk more about that one later! The second option, "Start from scratch," allows you to free form create your tour. Just simply type in where you want to go, what you want to see, and how long you want to be there and we'll contact you with a quote. It's that simple! The option behind door number 3 takes you to … [Read more...] about Introducing Our One-of-a-Kind Design A Tour Features!

They say it’s the little things that make a big difference. When you’re traveling in Europe for the first time, you’ll find yourself noticing lots of little differences – from the size of drinks and meal portions to the shape of electrical outlets. All these tiny differences combine to make European travel a stimulating, fascinating experience. When you return home, you’ll begin to notice things in your environment that you always took for granted.
Europe is larger than the U.S. in square miles, but we Americans tend to enjoy much more open space. Like goldfish, we have expanded to fit our environment. Common features of the American lifestyle, such as 44-ounce sodas, monster SUVs and sprawling walk-in closets arose out of an environment in which space seems unlimited. But in Europe, you’ll notice that everything is scaled down. Most people drive small hatch-backs because parking is scarce, fuel is expensive and streets are narrow. Homes are small, and hotel rooms are absurdly … [Read more...] about Europe & America: The Little Things

A movement called ecotourism has been gaining momentum among Earth-conscious travelers and conservationists in developing nations since the mid-1980s. What is ecotourism? It isn’t just about treading lightly in nature. Environmental conservation, long-term sustainability and the preservation of cultural heritage are the central aims of this relatively young travel trend.
Among tourists who climb the Eiffel Tower, cruise the Thames or tour the Vatican, reducing environmental impact is probably not a top concern. After all, these destinations have been altered and developed over the course of several millennia, so not much about them is natural. But what about the Galapagos Islands or the Costa Rican rainforest? Should tourists be concerned about their impact on these fragile and unique ecosystems? According to ecotourism proponents, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
So how can a student group benefit from an environmentally friendly tour? For starters, ecotourism destinations … [Read more...] about Ecotourism Destinations (Ecotours) for Green Students

As you may have noticed we’ve updated our look. Not only this, but we have also added lots of new features that make browsing the site and booking your dream trip easier than ever.
We've decided that you've done enough by choosing us as your tour provider, so we do all the hard work for you! We have come up with three unique ways to find the right educational experience for you. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Firstly you can let us be your guide and help you create your dream tour using our one-of-a-kind "Design A Tour" form. We give you all the options in the world. Literally! For all you Type A's who know exactly where you want to go, then you can use our "Start from Scratch" option to tell us who, what, where and when. Then simply sit back and let us take care of the how. Lastly you can browse the fantastic suggested tours we already have available and pick the one (or two) that jump out at you. Don’t forget, though, even these tours are fully customizable, so if walking rope … [Read more...] about Welcome to the brand new TSATours.com!

Why foreign language education has moved from important to imperative.
Many first-time travelers experience some pre-trip language anxiety. They wonder if a quick mid-flight course in French will be enough to let them successfully navigate the Paris métro or order a crêpe.
To American tourists' delight, most Europeans are able to converse easily (though sometimes reluctantly) in English. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Americans' proficiency in foreign languages. According to the 2007 American Community Survey issued April 2010, more than 80 percent of Americans speak English only. Consequences of this fact are not simply limited to ease of foreign travel. A powerful current of change in the world's economic makeup is testing the odds of getting by in business on English alone. … [Read more...] about Parlez-vous English?

TSA Tours is proud to offer our Tour Directors the opportunity to design their own study abroad curriculum. Students can earn college credits at a fraction of standard tuition costs, adding incredible value to your tour.
Seton Hill University's College in High School Program lets high school teachers administer college-level coursework centered around your TSA Tours itinerary.
Here are just a few examples of standard catalog courses from Seton Hill University:
• AR101 - Western Art History
• FR100 - Introduction to French Language and Culture
• HU200 - European Humanities
You can also submit your own curriculum to Seton Hill University for approval and create your own tailor-made course. … [Read more...] about TSA Tours Partners with Seton Hill University